Information signal recording apparatus for recording tracking signals in nonadjacent tracking areas of oblique tracks formed on magnetic recording medium

Abstract

A magnetic tape recording apparatus having an ordinary recording mode and an editing mode in which an information signal is recorded additionally to information already stored in previously formed oblique tracks is provided in which a high degree of accuracy is assured for tracking servoing upon editing by forming on the tape a track area for tracking in an area at a predetermined position of every other one of the oblique tracks. After the recording apparatus forms a tracking area in a particular oblique track, the recording apparatus prevents its rotary head apparatus from forming another tracking area in an adjacent oblique track.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a recording apparatus wherein oblique tracks are formed on a tape by means of a rotary head apparatus having a plurality of heads, each head having a first predetermined width, to record an information signal in the oblique tracks, said recording apparatus having an ordinary recording mode and an editing mode in which the information signal is recorded additionally to the tape on which oblique tracks are formed already, wherein said recording apparatus comprises tracking signal formation means for forming a plurality of tracking signals, said tracking signal formation means being in communication with said rotary head apparatus for recording each of said plurality of tracking signals by a corresponding head of said rotary head apparatus in a track area having a width equal to said first predetermined width and located at a predetermined position in every other one of the oblique tracks in a longitudinal direction of the track, said tracking signal formation means being operative to prevent a following head of said rotary head apparatus to form another track area at a corresponding position of the next adjacent oblique track adjacent said track area. 
     
     
       2. A recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a tracking signal is recorded in the track area independently of the information signal. 
     
     
       3. A recording apparatus wherein oblique tracks are formed on a tape by means of a rotary head apparatus having a plurality of heads, each head having a first predetermined width, to record an information signal, said recording apparatus having an ordinary recording mode and an editing mode in which the information signal is recorded on the tape on which oblique tracks have already been formed, comprising: a recording control circuit for receiving a mode signal representative of an operation mode of said recording apparatus;   a timing signal formation circuit in communication with said recording control circuit for forming timing and frequency signals from the information signal;   a drum servo circuit in communication with said timing signal formation circuit for controlling the phase of rotation of said rotary head apparatus;   a capstan servo circuit in communication with said timing signal formation circuit for controlling the feeding speed of the tape; and   a tracking signal formation circuit in communication with said timing signal formation circuit for forming a tracking signal in a track area having a width equal to said first predetermined width but not forming another track area at a corresponding position of a next adjacent oblique track adjacent said track area.   
     
     
       4. A recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, when said recording apparatus is in the ordinary recording mode, said timing signal formation circuit causes, under the control of said recording control circuit, said rotary head apparatus to record the information signal and the tracking signal formed by said tracking signal formation circuit such that the tracking signal is recorded into a first area at a predetermined position in a longitudinal direction of at least a particular one of each N oblique tracks independently of the information signal but the tracking signal is not recorded later into another area adjacent the first area and at a position in a longitudinal direction of any one of the N oblique tracks on the opposite sides of the particular track, N being an integral number equal to or greater than 2. 
     
     
       5. A recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, when said recording apparatus is in an editing mode, said timing signal formation circuit causes, under the control of said recording control circuit, said capstan servo circuit and said rotary head apparatus to operate such that the tape is first fed from a predetermined position of the tape by a predetermined amount in the reverse direction and then fed in the forward direction and information recorded on the oblique tracks is read out by said rotary head apparatus to detect a tracking signal and then causes, after the predetermined position of the tape is reached, said rotary head apparatus to record the information signal and the tracking signal formed by said tracking signal formation circuit such that the tracking signal is recorded into a first area at a predetermined position in a longitudinal direction of at least a particular one of each N oblique tracks independently of the information signal but the tracking signal is not recorded later into another area adjacent the first area and at a position in a longitudinal direction of any one of the N oblique tracks on the opposite sides of the particular track, N being an integral number equal to or greater than 2. 
     
     
       6. A recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, when said recording apparatus is in an editing mode, said timing signal formation circuit causes, under the control of said recording control circuit, said capstan servo circuit and said rotary head apparatus to operate such that the tape is first fed from a predetermined position of the tape by a predetermined amount in the reverse direction and then fed in the forward direction and information recorded on the oblique tracks is read out by said rotary head apparatus to detect a tracking signal and then causes, after the predetermined position of the tape is reached, said rotary head apparatus to record the information signal. 
     
     
       7. A recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said timing signal formation circuit forms a reference pulse signal of a one field period. 
     
     
       8. A recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said timing signal formation circuit is controlled by said recording control circuit. 
     
     
       9. A recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said drum servo circuit receives a rotational phase signal of said rotary head apparatus and controls the phase of rotation of said rotary head apparatus with reference to a reference pulse signal received from said timing signal formation circuit. 
     
     
       10. A recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said capstan servo circuit receives a signal representative of a speed of rotation of a capstan and controls the phase of rotation of said capstan with reference to a reference pulse signal received from said timing signal formation circuit. 
     
     
       11. A recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the mode signal is received from a system controller and represents one of operation modes including a recording mode, an assemble editing mode and an insert editing mode. 
     
     
       12. A recording apparatus for recording an information signal, comprising: means for dividing the information signal into N channels, N being an integral number equal to or greater than 2;   a rotary magnetic head apparatus for recording the information signals of the N channels in N magnetic tracks on a magnetic tape; and   means for causing said rotary magnetic head apparatus to record tracking signals into areas at predetermined positions in longitudinal directions of the N magnetic tracks independently of the information signals, the areas being positioned so that no magnetic track is recorded at a position adjacent each of the areas in which the tracking signals are recorded.   
     
     
       13. A recording apparatus for recording an information signal, comprising: means for dividing the information signal into N channels, N being an integral number equal to or greater than 2;   a rotary magnetic head apparatus having N magnetic heads, each head having a first predetermined width, for recording the information signals of the N channels in N magnetic tracks on a magnetic tape;   means for causing said rotary magnetic head apparatus to record a tracking signal into a first area having a width equal to said first predetermined width and located at a predetermined position in a longitudinal direction of at least a particular one of the N magnetic tracks independently of the information signal; and   means for preventing said rotary magnetic head apparatus from recording a tracking signal at a later time into another area adjacent the first area such that another track area is not formed adjacent to the first area and at a position in a longitudinal direction of any one of the magnetic tracks on the opposite sides of the particular track.   
     
     
       14. A recording apparatus for recording an information signal, comprising: means for dividing the information signal into N channels, N being an integral number equal to or greater than 2;   a rotary magnetic head apparatus having N magnetic heads, each head having a first predetermined width, for recording the information signals of the N channels in N magnetic tracks on a magnetic tape; and   means for causing said rotary magnetic head apparatus to record the information signal and a tracking signal in such a format that the tracking signal is recorded into a first area having a width equal to said first predetermined width and located at a predetermined position in a longitudinal direction of at least a particular one of the N magnetic tracks independently of the information signal but the tracking signal is not recorded at a later time into another area adjacent the first area such that another track area is not formed adjacent to the first area and at a position in a longitudinal direction of any one of the magnetic tracks on the opposite sides of the particular track.